Wetland Vegetation Sampling

 9/28/2013 - Wetland Vegetation Sampling Lab

Wetland vegetation above the oyster restoration site

Jesse measuring and marking quadrats

The class was separated into 3 groups. Brian, Jesse, and I decided to analyze wetland vegetation north of the oyster restoration site. Vegetation was analyzed using the transect line method with four quadrats positioned at 3 meter intervals (0, 3, 6, and 9). One meter square quadrat was used to measure the total abundance of individual plant species and their percent coverage. The transect began at the edge of the shoreline where the vegetation started (0 meters) and ended 9 meters from the starting point. Global positioning system (GPS) coordinates were collected at both the starting and ending points of the transect. Vegetation within the quadrat was identified by both the common and scientific name. Unidentified vegetation was bagged and labelled appropriately so that the species of vegetation could be determined when we returned to the laboratory at University of North Florida. Our group had one unidentified species of vegetation that we determined to be Sporobolus virginicus (marine couch).

Rough Periwinkle on Spartina alterniflora

We found that Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) was the dominant vegetation from 0 to 6 meters, but did not grow 9 meters from the marsh-edge. In quadrat 4, Batis maritima (saltwort) was the dominant vegetation, but shared the quadrat with Salicornia virginica (glasswort), Sporobolus virginicus (marine couch), and Avicennia germinans (black mangrove - pneumatophores). 

In this photo, Batis maritima (Saltwort) is the dominant vegetation